Monday, September 29, 2014

GoSave. What is it? At its best it is a nuisance and at worst it is something which will track your every online move and potentially infect your computer with spyware. It's usually detected as adware or PUP by most anti-virus engines but most people say it's simply a virus or malware. Since malware covers a broad number of malicious programs it's not a mistake to say that GoSave is malware but it's definitely not a virus. Anyway, once installed, this malware adds a few bogus web browser extension that track your browsing habits, favorite websites or products and then display ads on your computer. One thing is for sure, you need to get rid of it. Please use this guide to remove GoSave Ads and any associated malware from your computer.

So what exactly is GoSave and what does it mean for you as a computer user? In short, it's adware. Adware is short for Advertising Supported Software and just as television adverts are a way for their creators or the brands behind them to generate a revenue income stream, adverts online are a way for their developers to cancel out the expense of producing the software which is often distributed for free. Adware is usually installed due to the fact that it comes bundled with a program or app that you are downloading and installing. The problem is that GoSave authors tend to use shady distribution channels and they also display misleading ads. Not to mention that most people can't uninstall it from their computers. You will notice that your computer is infected right away. You'll see more ads on web pages that you normally expect and at the bottom of those ads you'll see text saying either "Brought By GoSave" or "Ad by GoSave". There's usually an option to close each ad but that won't solve the problem. I'm sure you don't want to close those annoying ads on every single web page you visit. I know I don't.

So, we can see from this that for some - i.e. the creators or users of adware - it is beneficial, but how does it affect the likes of you and me? Most people you speak to will probably tell you that adware is nothing more than something which is distracting or annoying. The problem with GoSave is that we are often completely in the dark, whilst being aware that we are being shown a proliferation of adverts, we often don't realize that we have a component installed on our machine that is monitoring our browsing habits.

Yes, you read that correctly; many adware programs also collect monitor the websites that you visit and collect various information. They do this so that the websites you look at can then show you adverts that have been tailor made to cater to your particular interests in the hope that you might click on the advert and then visit - and potentially purchase something - from the advertiser's website.

The way that GoSave finds its way on to your computer is because it is often packaged with a free program that is available to download on the internet. Once you've installed this program you will be given the option to either upgrade and continue to use it without seeing the adverts or to buy a version of it that is advertisement free.

You also need to watch out for adware that installs spyware on to your computer. Spyware is basically adware that has been installed without you having given your permission. The creators of spyware, however, argue that it is legit in that there is a grey area whereby when you're downloading something the End user License Agreement mentions that it is packaged with adware/spyware - but how many of us truly read the EULAs from start to finish and bother to check what we’re actually installing?

The difference between adware and spyware really comes down to the fact that spyware has the capability to capture and send any personal data it collects to a third party, instead of just using it for marketing purposes as adware does.

So how should you defend yourself against GoSave? You should make sure you have an up to date anti-malware program on your PC and that you scan for issues regularly. Also, don't just click "Yes" or "Next" without actually reading what it says because otherwise you will almost certainly end up installing adware and PUPs on your computer. To remove this malware from your computer, please follow the steps in the removal guide below. If you have any questions, please leave a comment down below. Good luck and be safe online!

GoSave Ads Removal Guide:

1. First of all, download anti-malware software and run a full system scan. It will detect and remove this infection from your computer. You may then follow the manual removal instructions below to remove the leftover traces of this malware. Hopefully you won't have to do that.

2. Remove GoSave related programs from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (Windows XP) or Uninstall a program control panel (Windows 7 and Windows 8).

Go to the Start Menu. Select Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control Panel → Uninstall a Program.

If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for "control panel".

Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control panel from there.

3. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove the following:

GoSave

GS_Booster

GS_Sustainer 1.80

YoutubeAdBlocke

and any other recently installed application

Simply select each application and click Remove. If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, click Uninstall up near the top of that window. When you're done, please close the Control Panel screen.

Remove GoSave related extensions from Google Chrome:

1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.

2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove GooSave, YoutubeAdBlocke, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.

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Hi there, and welcome to my humble web presence. I'm Michael Kaur. Malware squasher, geek, and blogger based in Los Angeles, CA. If you'd like to contact me, the easiest way is through email given below or Google+. Simply add me to your Google Plus circles.

DisclaimerThis is a self-help guide. Use at your own risk. Deletemalware.blogspot.com can not be held responsible for problems that may occur by using this information.

About the blogThis blog provides reliable information about the latest computer security threats including spyware, adware, browser hijackers, Trojans and other malicious software. We do NOT host or promote any malware (malicious software). We just want to draw your attention to the latest viruses, infections and other malware-related issues. The mission of this blog is to inform people about already existing and newly discovered security threats and to provide assistance in resolving computer problems caused by malware.